My response to Michael Reagan's stupid screed.

[Tyler Durden]

On Sunday, Michael Reagan did a column on his getting a horse for Christmas on Dad's ranch in Malibu (Malibu, for crying out loud.)

I couldn't stand it, so I wrote this to the paper for publication:

To the Editors:

I read with increasing disgust Michael Reagan’s little “jewel” of 12/28/03, and would like to ask you: just what are you thinking about?

It is bad enough that if you want any local news that you must subscribe to the Times Herald as Port Huron is too small to support two newspapers, but must you be so utterly insensitive to the problems of the community that you publish that drivel?

His saccharine tale of life on his father’s Malibu Horse Ranch, terminating in the “rich boy gets pony” ending was worthy of being on the gossip page with Michael Jackson, not with the opinions.

Aren’t you reading your own paper? I have read in your publication that homelessness in Port Huron is up 25% and new shelters and soup kitchens for homeless families have opened, there are new plant closings in the Industrial Park, the Downtown continues to spiral downward. Where on Earth is there even room for the “Happy Stories of the Rich and Largely Clueless?”

Perhaps it’s time you re-assessed your complete editorial policy. Your current Hit Parade of opinion columnists mostly features:
· The rants of a college freshman involving his observations on morality and life without a shred of life experience in either,
· The senile meandering of an ex-corporate Financial Officer repeating the political falsehoods of the administration as great truths,
· The Pundits of the Far, Far Right Wing Fringe (Malkin, Reagan, and their ilk) emoting their disgust and denunciation for anyone not of their exact political persuasion,
· Anyone else you can grab that supports a right wing, neo-conservative slant, without any check on their "facts” because they are expressing “opinion.”

I guess since you don’t publish Ann Coulter, I should be grateful for small favors.

I have yet to see one piece written by a NATIONAL liberal columnist for balance. Molly Ivins is part of the same syndicate as Michelle Malkin, yet she is never on your opinion page. James Hightower is writing splendid witty commentary, yet I never see one of his nationally syndicated columns. I could go on, but what’s the point?

Maybe you should remember that the State of Michigan went for Democratic Party candidates for president in the last three elections, so perhaps you may have at least an even split between liberals and conservatives in this area. Your local base of support is not remotely monolithic, and maybe if you were a little more even handed you could even increase your circulation.

However, as far as Michael Reagan’s cute little “I got my PONY!” story, it fell on deaf ears in my house. We are much too busy trying to pay for healthcare, keep our jobs, and avoid bankruptcy court.

Boy did that feel good.